1 00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:03,800 You're listening to the Bridgetown Church Podcast with 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,840 Pastor Casey Kendall, where our vision is Jesus, our mission is 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,760 people, and our cause is love. Thanks for tuning in. 4 00:00:10,040 --> 00:00:12,320 Let's dive in. Amen. 5 00:00:12,440 --> 00:00:15,200 Thank you for joining us as we celebrate Jesus. 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:20,640 The Bible says if Jesus said if he is high and lifted up, that 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:25,440 he would draw all men to himself and that's our hearts desires, 8 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,960 that Jesus would be lifted up in this place, that we would get a 9 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:32,520 greater view of Jesus, that we would stand in awe of Jesus, 10 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:36,960 that we would be at a place in our lives where Jesus is 11 00:00:36,960 --> 00:00:40,600 glorious and he is holy. And I think sometimes what 12 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:43,840 happens in our lives is we've settled so much for the crumbs 13 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,840 of this world that we're no longer satisfied by the bread of 14 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,640 life, Jesus. And I just want to thank you as 15 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:59,080 your pastor for the amazing community of us hitting from the 16 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:04,720 seats to the streets, the gospel of Jesus Christ. 17 00:01:07,360 --> 00:01:09,920 Never did I ever think I would move to the South. 18 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,640 I knew I would be in Southern California, but I'd never 19 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,800 thought I'd live in the South. And God does above and beyond 20 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,360 all that we could ever ask, think or imagine. 21 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:26,200 And so with that being said, we want to lift up Jesus who has 22 00:01:26,200 --> 00:01:30,320 risen. If you come from the old school 23 00:01:30,320 --> 00:01:33,280 church where you know, when he says the pastor says he has 24 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:38,520 risen, the church always said, let's try that again because 25 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:41,480 it's kind of weak in here, even though we have a lot of people, 26 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,120 he has risen. Amen. 27 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:47,320 Amen. I want to ask that you turn in 28 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:51,440 your Bibles to Matthew chapter 27, Matthew chapter 27. 29 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:56,240 I want to deal with a topic this morning of us being able to 30 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:58,920 rise. And if you take any types of 31 00:01:58,920 --> 00:02:03,320 notes here, we want to remind you that because Jesus rose 32 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:07,280 again from the dead, you could rise in any situation that's 33 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:13,040 been given to you by the loving hand of God and by the authority 34 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:14,760 in the working of his Holy Spirit. 35 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,240 And we really believe that that today is a day that the church 36 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,880 is called to. Today is a day that we come out 37 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:29,000 of our own lives of possibly sin that you might be in and Jesus 38 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:33,440 calls you to rise due to his death, his burial and his 39 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:35,560 resurrection. So if you'd follow with me, in 40 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:40,640 Matthew chapter 27, beginning in verse 62, the Bible reads these 41 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:43,560 words that on the next day, which followed the day of 42 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:47,560 preparation, the chief priest and the Pharisees gathered 43 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:53,600 together to Pilate saying, Sir, we remember while he was still 44 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:59,560 alive, how that deceiver said, Speaking of Jesus, after three 45 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:05,520 days I will rise. Just tell your neighbor that he 46 00:03:05,640 --> 00:03:09,800 is risen. Therefore command that the tomb 47 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:14,360 be made secure until the 3rd day, lest his disciples come by 48 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:20,040 night and steal him away and say to the people He has risen from 49 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:21,600 the dead. Can you just look at your 50 00:03:21,600 --> 00:03:26,920 neighbor and say he has risen so the last deception will be worse 51 00:03:26,920 --> 00:03:29,160 than the first? And Pilate said to them, you 52 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:35,240 have a guard, go your way. Make it as secure as you know 53 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,640 how. And so they went and made the 54 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:43,000 tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. 55 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,240 But there's more. Matthew 28 verse one. 56 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:51,440 Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to 57 00:03:51,440 --> 00:03:55,720 dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. 58 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,280 And behold, there was a great earthquake. 59 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:02,600 For an Angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came 60 00:04:02,600 --> 00:04:08,040 and rolled back the stone from the door, and he sat on it, and 61 00:04:08,040 --> 00:04:11,160 his countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as 62 00:04:11,160 --> 00:04:15,400 white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of 63 00:04:15,400 --> 00:04:19,600 him, and became like dead men. But the Angel answered and said 64 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:24,000 to the women, Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus, 65 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:30,440 who was crucified. He is not here, for he is risen. 66 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:31,560 Risen. Can you look at your neighbor 67 00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:38,080 and say, He is risen from the dead, and indeed he's going 68 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,680 before you into Galilee, therefore you will see him. 69 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:44,280 Behold, I have told you. And so they departed quickly 70 00:04:44,280 --> 00:04:48,760 from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring his 71 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:51,440 disciples word. And as they went to tell his 72 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,480 disciples, behold, Jesus met them saying, Rejoice. 73 00:04:55,400 --> 00:04:58,160 And they came and held him by the feet, and they worshipped 74 00:04:58,160 --> 00:05:00,720 him. And Jesus said to them, do not 75 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:03,680 be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to 76 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:08,520 Galilee, and there they will see me. 77 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:09,920 Can you pray with me this morning? 78 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,480 Lord, we thank you for the power of your word. 79 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,680 We thank you for the working of your Holy Spirit. 80 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,760 Father, we pray this morning that our eyes would be awestruck 81 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:25,880 by Jesus, that our heart would be aligned with Jesus, that our 82 00:05:25,880 --> 00:05:28,960 ears would be attentive to the voice of Jesus. 83 00:05:29,640 --> 00:05:33,680 Lord, I pray that you would wipe away every distraction that's in 84 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:39,000 this room, possibly even that we came into this room feeling, 85 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:44,480 sensing, seeing, and hearing. Lord, we pray, Lord, that our 86 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:50,240 eyes would be completely fixed on the person of Jesus Christ, 87 00:05:50,640 --> 00:05:55,600 Not a pastor, not a platform, not a ministry leader, but on 88 00:05:55,600 --> 00:06:00,160 the person of Jesus Christ. You Jesus, are the great 89 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:05,200 shepherd of our souls. And so Lord, we ask and pray 90 00:06:05,840 --> 00:06:08,960 that you would do your great work in this place. 91 00:06:09,440 --> 00:06:14,480 And I asked this in Jesus name and everybody said Amen, if you 92 00:06:14,480 --> 00:06:17,640 can, as we always do at Bridgetown every Sunday, if you 93 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:22,680 would just look at your neighbor and say neighbor, my neighbor, I 94 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:28,520 can't handle this weight. I'm not talking possibly about 95 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,640 your body, I'm talking about your burden. 96 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:35,320 I want you to understand that because it was just last week as 97 00:06:35,320 --> 00:06:43,360 I was loading a 28 foot trailer long, 9 feet trailer high that 98 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:51,160 we were loading in box after box after box, tables, beds. 99 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:55,880 And I was thinking to myself, there was one item that I didn't 100 00:06:55,880 --> 00:07:00,520 want to carry. It was what I inherited from my 101 00:07:00,520 --> 00:07:05,160 father-in-law. It was his Craftsman toolbox. 102 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:12,240 I wasn't dreading carrying this simply because I didn't like it, 103 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:20,120 but it was way too heavy and I didn't have the patience within 104 00:07:20,120 --> 00:07:25,240 me to take out every drawer of the toolbox just to get it up 105 00:07:25,240 --> 00:07:28,360 the ramp. And so I thought to myself, I've 106 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:31,920 been exercising a little bit, possibly with my son-in-law, 107 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:37,920 Noah, we can get this Craftsman toolbox right up the trailer. 108 00:07:37,920 --> 00:07:41,720 And there was the landscaper off to my left watching the whole 109 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:44,760 scene unfold. His name is Brian. 110 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:50,080 I should have listened to Brian. Brian told me these words. 111 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:53,640 He said would you like to take out each drawer before you 112 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,560 actually move it? I said no, we got this. 113 00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:08,000 And so in one fell swoop on the Dolly, I pulled while Noah 114 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:15,960 pushed and we made it. We made it all the way to the 115 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:24,200 middle, but we made it and I struggled in the middle. 116 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:31,960 It was there that I realized that I couldn't handle the 117 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:37,159 weights and I kept trying to pull and I didn't want to look 118 00:08:37,159 --> 00:08:41,799 weak in front of my son-in-law. So I asked him. 119 00:08:41,799 --> 00:08:44,680 I said, Noah, you got to push, man. 120 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,240 And he kept pushing and straining and I kept pulling and 121 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:53,680 straining. It felt like the muscles on my 122 00:08:53,680 --> 00:08:56,680 lower back were about to explode. 123 00:08:57,560 --> 00:09:00,280 And I said I got to let it down. I got to let it down. 124 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,720 And we got it down to the bottom again. 125 00:09:04,720 --> 00:09:15,360 And Brian walks up and he says, can I show you how to release 126 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:22,400 the weight of this toolbox? He said there's small clips on 127 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,880 each side and all you need is a screwdriver. 128 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:31,880 And I promise you at that point in time, you will be able to get 129 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:36,680 this whole thing up. Have you ever found yourself 130 00:09:36,680 --> 00:09:41,200 there right in the middle of your struggle? 131 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:46,200 There was so much pain that you couldn't really progress forward 132 00:09:46,200 --> 00:09:49,120 in your life. Have you ever found yourself 133 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:52,120 there where the load that you were lifting was too much to 134 00:09:52,120 --> 00:09:57,400 hold in your life right now? If you have, just say Amen. 135 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,200 Have you ever found yourself there where you really couldn't 136 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:07,400 handle the weight? The problem wasn't necessarily 137 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:11,320 you're pushing. The problem was the pressure 138 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,640 that you were called to carry in that moment. 139 00:10:15,560 --> 00:10:21,040 Have you ever found yourself at that point in time in life where 140 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:26,080 your life was not about bright colors this Easter, but maybe 141 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,680 dark hues this Easter? Maybe what you're wearing today 142 00:10:30,680 --> 00:10:35,200 is not the cute wardrobe that you came in here with, but maybe 143 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:38,080 you were dressed in despair this morning. 144 00:10:39,040 --> 00:10:43,440 Maybe you've come into this place and your experience this 145 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:47,600 Easter is not necessarily a celebration. 146 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,240 It is sadness. And what you're saying to 147 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:58,080 yourself is I can't really handle this weight anymore. 148 00:10:58,520 --> 00:11:00,680 I can't handle the weight of grief. 149 00:11:01,520 --> 00:11:05,440 I can't handle the weight of unmet expectations. 150 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,560 I can't handle the weight of my health. 151 00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:12,520 I can't handle the weight of my marriage. 152 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:16,920 I can't handle the weight of shame, the weight of guilt and 153 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:21,360 the weight of betrayal and the weight of doubt and the weight 154 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,480 of questions. And lastly, this is the one that 155 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:30,760 seems to get us the most the weight of regret that we 156 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:32,880 actually could have done some more. 157 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:38,960 Have you ever found yourself in your life saying these words? 158 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:46,160 I just can't handle this weight anymore. 159 00:11:46,680 --> 00:11:49,760 I want you to know if you have, you're not alone. 160 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:54,080 You're not alone in this room. And what I want to submit to you 161 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:58,120 is 1 sentence today as your pastor and that is this. 162 00:11:58,480 --> 00:12:02,080 Stop holding what Jesus alone can keep carrying. 163 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:08,560 Once again, stop holding what Jesus alone can keep caring for 164 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:10,320 you. This is what the Bible says. 165 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,960 The Bible tells us in first Peter chapter 5 verse 7 to cast 166 00:12:14,960 --> 00:12:21,000 all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 167 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:25,480 Notice the Bible does not say manage your anxiety. 168 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:31,440 The Bible says to cast your anxiety upon Him. 169 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:36,840 This word cast in the Bible simply means to throw it, to 170 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:40,680 place the full weight of it on something or someone. 171 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:44,760 But here's the problem. The problem is, many of us carry 172 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:47,360 what God is inviting us to release. 173 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:54,600 We rehearse it in our minds. We replay it with our heart, the 174 00:12:54,600 --> 00:12:59,200 fear in our minds. We try to control the outcome 175 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:06,720 that God alone has the power to control and to carry. 176 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:10,320 This is what we do this Easter. We try to Google it. 177 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:17,840 We ChatGPT it. We have ChatGPT talking to us on 178 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:19,560 how well we're doing in our lives. 179 00:13:20,520 --> 00:13:23,720 We have ChatGPT for everything that we think we need 180 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,720 information of. We have information overload. 181 00:13:28,760 --> 00:13:31,240 We have a high level of information. 182 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:37,600 We have a low level of trust and we think that higher information 183 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:41,760 means my trust will grow. But let me ask you a question. 184 00:13:41,920 --> 00:13:45,360 The more you googled it, has the anxiety gone away? 185 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:50,760 The more that you've ChatGPT D it, has that really gone away 186 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:54,480 for you? The answer is not necessarily 187 00:13:54,480 --> 00:13:58,880 going to be found in what you and information that you're 188 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,120 carrying, but God's Word says something beautiful. 189 00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:06,080 And here's what the Lord says to you this Easter. 190 00:14:06,360 --> 00:14:13,320 God does not just tolerate your anxiety, He actually cares for 191 00:14:13,320 --> 00:14:17,000 you as a person who's battling the anxiety. 192 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:20,160 Do you see? The Lord has given to us this 193 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:27,720 Easter the invitation to release ourselves into the hands of the 194 00:14:27,720 --> 00:14:32,240 One who carries the whole universe. 195 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:37,800 The Bible says underneath you are the arms of the everlasting 196 00:14:37,800 --> 00:14:45,040 God. If he carries in his hands the 197 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:51,840 universe, you will not slip out of his hands as you commit 198 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,760 yourself to him. This is what Easter is all 199 00:14:54,760 --> 00:14:58,760 about. It is the divine exchange that 200 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:02,720 Jesus carried the physical and spiritual weight of the cross so 201 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:07,200 that we would not bear the crushing burden of sin, hell and 202 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:09,800 the grave. And I say this to you today, 203 00:15:09,800 --> 00:15:13,720 because Jesus rose, you can actually rise. 204 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:19,480 He can handle what's heavy. He can handle what's heavy. 205 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:22,400 I'm going to say it until the church gets it. 206 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:26,480 He can handle what's heavy. He can handle everything that 207 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:30,520 you're carrying in your life. And Easter is the divine proof 208 00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:35,040 and proclamation that Jesus can handle everything that's heavy 209 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:37,320 in your life. This is exactly where the 210 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:41,200 disciples find themselves. The disciples aren't huddled up 211 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:46,640 in an in a dark room making colorful eggs and hosting an 212 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:50,080 Easter party. They're not doing that. 213 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,480 They're not on some search in egg hunt at their favorite 214 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,240 restaurant. The disciples are discouraged. 215 00:15:57,520 --> 00:16:00,200 They're despairing. They're depressed. 216 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:04,920 They're questioning, They're doubting, and they're wondering 217 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:08,040 why Jesus didn't really come through. 218 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:13,760 He said he would be king. And this is where the disciples 219 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:18,600 found themselves. And in this specific place, the 220 00:16:18,600 --> 00:16:24,360 report comes to them that Jesus is alive. 221 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:30,480 I love what Ji Packer said. He said this is not optimism, 222 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,960 this is hope. He writes, optimism is a wish 223 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,560 without warrant. Christian hope is certainty 224 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:43,560 generated by God himself. Optimism reflects ignorance as 225 00:16:43,560 --> 00:16:46,160 to whether good things will ever actually come. 226 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,440 Christian hope expresses knowledge that every day of this 227 00:16:50,440 --> 00:16:55,520 life and every moment beyond it, the believer can say with truth 228 00:16:55,520 --> 00:17:00,400 and certainty that God's own commitment to him is that the 229 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:05,280 best is yet to come. And I tell you that today 230 00:17:05,440 --> 00:17:14,240 because he rose, you can rise. You might be asking, well, what? 231 00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:16,880 What did Jesus actually carry that was heavy? 232 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:20,359 I just want to go through a few things in the story if we could 233 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:24,160 together, if you afford me a little bit more time in your 234 00:17:24,160 --> 00:17:26,599 morning. And I want you to hear this 235 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:29,600 today, that Jesus handles everything that is heavy. 236 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:35,080 And notice if you would, in Matthew chapter 27, the 237 00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:40,440 religious rulers had come together in verse 62, the 238 00:17:40,440 --> 00:17:45,120 Pharisees had gathered together the chief priests and the 239 00:17:45,120 --> 00:17:48,880 Pharisees. Now the chief priests were the 240 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:53,200 religious political leaders of that day. 241 00:17:53,520 --> 00:17:57,680 The chief priests were normally what the Bible would call the 242 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:02,080 Sadducees. The Sadducees didn't believe in 243 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:07,160 the resurrection afterlife and the Pharisees came together. 244 00:18:07,160 --> 00:18:08,840 Now that this is very interesting. 245 00:18:09,120 --> 00:18:13,880 The chief rulers, the Sadducees, came together with the 246 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,880 Pharisees. The Pharisees were again 247 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:21,280 religious rulers. They would hold to the adherence 248 00:18:21,280 --> 00:18:25,720 of the Oral Law in the Torah and they joined together. 249 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,400 But the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. 250 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:33,000 The Sadducees and the Pharisees normally did not hang out 251 00:18:33,000 --> 00:18:36,680 together. They did not like each other. 252 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:43,040 It was blue and red. And they they did not come 253 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:49,880 together except for one thing, to make sure that Jesus did not 254 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:54,680 come out of that tomb. Notice they said as they came to 255 00:18:54,720 --> 00:19:01,560 Pilate, the Jews did not like the Roman authority. 256 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:05,560 The Sadducees hated the Pharisees. 257 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:10,480 The Sadducees and the Pharisees hated Rome, but they hated Jesus 258 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:14,400 more. And they come together in this 259 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:20,840 moment and they say, Sir, we remember in verse 63, while he 260 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:28,480 was still alive, how that deceiver said, after three days 261 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:33,640 I will rise. Isn't it interesting? 262 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:39,520 Can I just give you this for free, that the enemies of Jesus 263 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:43,120 believed his word more than the friends of Jesus. 264 00:19:46,120 --> 00:19:52,400 And in this moment the enemies of Jesus believed what he 265 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:58,440 actually said, that Jesus would actually rise again. 266 00:19:58,640 --> 00:20:03,960 And so they asked Pilate command us command verse 64 that the 267 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:09,200 tomb be made secure until the 3rd day, lest his disciples come 268 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:14,240 by night and steal him away. That's a conspiracy theory you 269 00:20:14,240 --> 00:20:19,720 don't want to follow and say to the people he has risen from the 270 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:20,960 dead. Can you look at your neighbor 271 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:25,280 and say he has risen? So the last deception will be 272 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:27,960 worse than the first. Then? 273 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,320 Pilate said to them. You have a guard. 274 00:20:30,560 --> 00:20:34,520 Can I give you the first thing that Jesus takes care of in the 275 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:38,240 power of the resurrection? You ready for this? 276 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:45,360 He takes care of the soldiers. He takes care of the soldiers. 277 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,120 Now notice in verse 65 Pilate said to them, you have a guard, 278 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:54,200 but notice if you would jump down with me in Matthew chapter 279 00:20:54,360 --> 00:21:02,320 28 verse 4 says, and the guards plural shook for fear of him and 280 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:08,200 became like dead men. Was it 1 guard or was it mini 281 00:21:08,200 --> 00:21:12,360 guards? They believe, historians say 282 00:21:12,360 --> 00:21:19,280 that there were 4 to 16 guards watching the tomb of Jesus 283 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:22,120 Christ. That's a lot of people. 284 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:27,680 And here is Mary and Mary. While Peter, James and John and 285 00:21:27,680 --> 00:21:29,720 all the other disciples were so afraid. 286 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:34,920 Thank you women for being bold. Thank you for taking this step 287 00:21:34,920 --> 00:21:36,760 of faith. Thank you for your courage. 288 00:21:36,920 --> 00:21:44,000 Mary and Mary come along and say get up, let's rise, let's go. 289 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:49,720 And in the Gospel accounts, one of the stories is, is that 290 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:53,280 they're wondering what they're going to do when they get to the 291 00:21:53,280 --> 00:22:00,440 stone. In this moment, Jesus has 292 00:22:00,840 --> 00:22:06,520 handled the soldiers. And in this moment, as Jesus 293 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:12,600 handles the soldiers, there could have been 4:00 to 16 294 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:19,080 soldiers all around this tomb. Notice what happened. 295 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:24,960 Verse 4 tells us the guards shook for fear of him the Angel 296 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:28,680 and became like dead men. Can I give you another free 297 00:22:28,680 --> 00:22:32,360 thing? The ones on the outside of the 298 00:22:32,360 --> 00:22:35,960 tomb were dead men. The one on the inside of the 299 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:45,360 tomb was a lie, and here is the moment inside of the tomb. 300 00:22:45,560 --> 00:22:51,080 There was no one there because Jesus is alive. 301 00:22:51,480 --> 00:22:56,440 The resurrection proclaims that no person can stand against the 302 00:22:56,440 --> 00:23:03,120 power of Jesus Christ. The resurrection shows us that 303 00:23:03,120 --> 00:23:07,960 we don't have to agree, but God might align these things. 304 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:12,600 And this opposition, even this Easter that you might be facing 305 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:17,440 is God's opportunity to show us that no matter the person placed 306 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:23,160 at the tomb who says that Jesus is dead cannot stop that a God 307 00:23:23,160 --> 00:23:26,920 who says that Jesus is alive forever more. 308 00:23:28,080 --> 00:23:30,800 Here's the problem, men and women this Easter. 309 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:36,960 Here is the big problem that every single one of us face is 310 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:43,280 this is many times we fear men in the face of men because we 311 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:48,880 have not seen the face of God. And because as Charles Spurgeon 312 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:54,280 said, you've not seen the face of God, you begin to fear the 313 00:23:54,280 --> 00:24:00,240 face of men. And thus we live in fear of our 314 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:06,240 lives rather than faith that God can handle these types of 315 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,280 people. No notice, notice in your life, 316 00:24:10,280 --> 00:24:13,960 you, you probably names might be popping up of certain people. 317 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:20,360 Don't don't say them out loud, but maybe people who might be 318 00:24:20,360 --> 00:24:28,760 against you right now, maybe a boss, maybe a Co worker, maybe a 319 00:24:28,760 --> 00:24:34,880 friend, maybe a loved one, maybe a cousin, maybe your husband, 320 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:39,360 maybe your wife. And all that's inside of you is 321 00:24:39,360 --> 00:24:46,880 wondering how are you going to handle these types of people. 322 00:24:47,840 --> 00:24:53,520 I think the resurrection proves to us that God is greater, 323 00:24:53,600 --> 00:24:59,440 bigger, mightier, holier, all powerful, all knowing and can 324 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,840 take care of people. That the heart of the King is in 325 00:25:03,840 --> 00:25:08,040 the hand of God and he moves it where he wishes. 326 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:14,000 I had an arch nemesis once. His name was Harvey. 327 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:18,080 I know that doesn't bring up anything for you probably, but 328 00:25:18,080 --> 00:25:24,880 it triggers me the name Harvey at Harvey at the age of 6 years 329 00:25:24,880 --> 00:25:28,240 old at Blair Park in the great city of San Bernardino, CA. 330 00:25:28,520 --> 00:25:31,720 If you ever want to visit, that's a good place to go and 331 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:35,120 see what God is up to in the city. 332 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:40,960 And there at Blair Park, Harvey decided to spit in my brother's 333 00:25:40,960 --> 00:25:44,240 face. Now as a younger brother, I had 334 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,000 to make my pathway secure at the slide, so I could not allow 335 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,360 Harvey to do that. So Harvey and I were the same 336 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:55,920 size at that time and and I fought Harvey and I beat Harvey. 337 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:02,120 I boast in the Lord in that like David did with Goliath. 338 00:26:02,120 --> 00:26:07,160 But Harvey got bigger and I stayed smaller. 339 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,040 And every time I would ride my bike by Blair Park, Harvey was 340 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:18,040 huge. He was big, I was small, and I 341 00:26:18,040 --> 00:26:22,040 would ride my bike faster when I passed his house because I knew 342 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,040 at some time he would come out and he would ask me, will you 343 00:26:25,040 --> 00:26:30,600 fight me again? Every time, Every time I saw him 344 00:26:30,600 --> 00:26:34,080 in the park, let's fight again. But he was bigger and I was 345 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:37,000 smaller. I realized this very important 346 00:26:37,000 --> 00:26:39,000 principle that I want to submit to you. 347 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:44,000 Today. I had to call on your brother. 348 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,680 I had to call my older brother. I had to call someone stronger. 349 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:55,160 I had to call someone greater. I had to call someone who had 350 00:26:55,360 --> 00:26:59,400 the audacity to stand in Harvey's face and not allow him 351 00:26:59,400 --> 00:27:05,400 to progress and be a bully. I had to call on someone greater 352 00:27:05,400 --> 00:27:09,720 than myself. And I just want to submit to 353 00:27:09,720 --> 00:27:11,720 you. You have a you have an older 354 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:17,440 brother, you have one who is passed from death to life, who 355 00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,800 has conquered sin, hell in the grave. 356 00:27:21,120 --> 00:27:29,120 And you can call on Jesus. You can be at a spot in your 357 00:27:29,120 --> 00:27:35,480 life where you see that God will meet you right in the place that 358 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:39,200 you're at. And every time he came, I 359 00:27:39,200 --> 00:27:43,920 called. Just like Moses with Pharaoh, 360 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:48,680 just like Joseph with his brothers, just like Esther with 361 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:53,400 Haman, just like David met Goliath, just like Elijah met 362 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:57,040 Jezebel, just like Daniel met the evil officials. 363 00:27:57,040 --> 00:28:01,880 And the disciples would go to the tomb and they would see that 364 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:06,160 Jesus not only had the power to cancel sin, hell in the grave, 365 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,640 but he also had the power to move people. 366 00:28:10,640 --> 00:28:14,320 He had the power to protect. He had the power in a place 367 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:20,080 where he could move in such a way where God would be at work. 368 00:28:20,720 --> 00:28:24,160 I love the story of Lisa Turkhurst, who talks about the 369 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:29,240 pain of a husband who committed adultery on her over and over 370 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:31,840 again. And I love not the story itself, 371 00:28:31,840 --> 00:28:37,600 but I love her her out come of her faith in Jesus Christ. 372 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:43,840 This is what she wrote of the pain of facing the situation 373 00:28:44,000 --> 00:28:47,960 that she was in. She writes these words. 374 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,760 Are you dealing with the aftermath of someone what 375 00:28:51,760 --> 00:28:56,000 someone else has done, wondering if things will be made right 376 00:28:56,320 --> 00:29:02,400 when how people have hurt you, but they never suffer the 377 00:29:02,680 --> 00:29:06,640 consequences. It's very unfair. 378 00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:11,400 Bitterness can arise. She writes We don't have to. 379 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:13,240 I love this sentence. She writes. 380 00:29:13,480 --> 00:29:20,200 We don't have to allow We don't have to allow the one who broke 381 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:24,080 our trust to break us in the moment. 382 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:29,800 Jesus has the power to handle people. 383 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,600 He had the power to handle the soldiers, but he also had the 384 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:40,280 power to handle the seal, the seal which was over the tomb. 385 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:45,520 Notice the Bible says that they asked for a specific seal. 386 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,920 They they asked that a command would be given to secure the 387 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:57,720 tomb until the 3rd day, lest anyone take the body of Jesus 388 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,600 Christ. So in front of the tomb or 4 to 389 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:05,320 16 soldiers across the tomb spread out in different 390 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:12,240 directions is the not just the people, but the authority of 391 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:15,680 Rome. And here in this moment, the 392 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:23,040 Bible tells us these words, that the Angel came at this place in 393 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:27,920 verse 2 and there was a great earthquake. 394 00:30:28,760 --> 00:30:32,400 When heaven touches earth, something should quake in your 395 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:36,240 life. And the Angel touches down. 396 00:30:36,440 --> 00:30:40,680 And the Lord, the Angel of the Lord descended from heaven and 397 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:46,200 he came and noticed this. He rolled back the stone. 398 00:30:47,080 --> 00:30:51,040 He rolled back the stone, but not only did he roll back the 399 00:30:51,040 --> 00:30:54,880 stone, but check this out, He sat on it. 400 00:30:55,640 --> 00:31:00,120 I don't want you to miss that the seal is given, Pilate said. 401 00:31:00,720 --> 00:31:06,320 If you break the seal, it is punishable by death, but the 402 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:09,960 only one who could break that seal was the one who was fully 403 00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:15,760 alive, and that is Jesus. So Mary and Mary are going to 404 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:19,160 this heavy situation. Their Savior has died. 405 00:31:19,160 --> 00:31:21,520 I don't know if you've ever been in a spot where someone that 406 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:24,200 you've loved has passed into eternity. 407 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:27,840 You saw them breathe their last breath upon this planet. 408 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:30,760 You saw their spirit enter into eternity. 409 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,560 You know the pain and the grief that we're upon their heart in 410 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,560 this moment. They go in the darkness of the 411 00:31:37,560 --> 00:31:40,400 morning. It's the breaking of dawn. 412 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:42,880 And there they're wondering, how are we going to handle the 413 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,040 soldiers? What are we going to do for the 414 00:31:45,040 --> 00:31:48,320 seal? And Jesus handles it. 415 00:31:49,320 --> 00:31:57,560 He handles all of it for their benefit and for God's glory. 416 00:31:57,920 --> 00:32:03,680 Notice the Roman authority meant maximum security, and it 417 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,440 signified legal ownership by Rome. 418 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:11,480 And it was a simple statement that every guard at that place 419 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:16,680 had to follow that if this seal was was broken, death would be 420 00:32:17,680 --> 00:32:21,600 experienced. It was human authority that 421 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:25,640 tried to war off divine almighty sovereignty. 422 00:32:27,480 --> 00:32:33,000 Not only did Jesus handle the people, but Jesus can handle 423 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:38,160 other people's perception of their own power. 424 00:32:39,520 --> 00:32:42,800 There is no power that is greater than the person of Jesus 425 00:32:42,800 --> 00:32:46,200 Christ. There is no government that is 426 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:52,680 greater than Jesus Christ. Listen if you would Russia is 427 00:32:52,680 --> 00:32:58,120 not greater than Jesus. China is not greater than Jesus. 428 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:01,280 North Korea is not greater than Jesus. 429 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:04,800 America is not greater than Jesus. 430 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:07,680 Iran will not be greater than Jesus. 431 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:11,480 No country in Europe will ever be greater than Jesus. 432 00:33:11,480 --> 00:33:13,840 Canada is not greater than Jesus. 433 00:33:14,280 --> 00:33:18,040 No politician, pilot, whoever you want to put in that 434 00:33:18,040 --> 00:33:21,400 category. No politician will ever be 435 00:33:21,400 --> 00:33:24,400 greater than the person of Jesus Christ. 436 00:33:24,400 --> 00:33:29,280 Jesus alone has the power. Jesus alone has the authority. 437 00:33:29,640 --> 00:33:36,440 Jesus alone is the unmatchless, almighty one, true, living God. 438 00:33:37,880 --> 00:33:43,560 Jesus alone is the one who has given His life, and in giving 439 00:33:43,560 --> 00:33:52,320 His life, He gives to us the power to face any power that is 440 00:33:52,320 --> 00:33:55,760 in our path. I had the opportunity in 441 00:33:55,760 --> 00:34:01,400 December of 2001, three months after 911, to stand on the 442 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:07,200 platform where the families would view their loved ones who 443 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:12,000 are still being searched for. In that moment, though, in that 444 00:34:12,000 --> 00:34:15,719 moment that I was there, in the month of December, we had the 445 00:34:15,719 --> 00:34:19,040 opportunity to pray for families who came up, but they weren't 446 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:21,080 looking for living people in that time. 447 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:27,600 They, they were actually looking for people who were deceased and 448 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,159 they were bringing their bodies to a place of honor. 449 00:34:32,040 --> 00:34:34,840 And I remember watching the firemen and the policeman coming 450 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:40,040 out of what they called the pit. And as they would come out of 451 00:34:40,040 --> 00:34:47,120 the pit, the wreckage that was brought on, of these towers 452 00:34:47,120 --> 00:34:51,360 collapsing, there was a place that you might be aware of that 453 00:34:51,360 --> 00:34:58,600 formed this metal cross. And every fireman and policeman 454 00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:07,160 coming out of that pit had to go into the cross as they left, as 455 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:09,240 they exited, they went from the cross. 456 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:13,400 As they went into, they went in with the cross in view. 457 00:35:14,320 --> 00:35:19,000 And I submit this to you this morning, that it is in the view 458 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:26,920 of the cross of Jesus Christ that Jesus said your devastation 459 00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:33,240 is not your final destination. The cross of Christ proves to me 460 00:35:33,400 --> 00:35:39,440 in my view of the cross of Jesus Christ, where Jesus said it is 461 00:35:39,680 --> 00:35:42,880 finished. And because it is finished, this 462 00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:47,000 will not have power over you. The doctors can share their 463 00:35:47,000 --> 00:35:49,000 words. Politicians can share their 464 00:35:49,000 --> 00:35:52,000 promises. Advisors can make you aware. 465 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:56,560 But only Jesus has the power to break the bonds of evil in hell. 466 00:35:57,680 --> 00:36:03,080 He can handle any seal that people put over your life. 467 00:36:03,080 --> 00:36:06,080 He handled the soldiers. He handled the seal. 468 00:36:06,080 --> 00:36:08,680 Notice this. He handled the stone. 469 00:36:09,880 --> 00:36:13,920 No notice the the the Bible says they rolled a stone in front of 470 00:36:14,120 --> 00:36:17,360 the tomb of Jesus. And when the women got there, 471 00:36:17,360 --> 00:36:21,960 the Angel had already gotten there and he rolled back the 472 00:36:21,960 --> 00:36:24,160 stone. This is where Rolling Stones got 473 00:36:24,160 --> 00:36:27,160 their name for their no, I'm just kidding for for from their, 474 00:36:27,200 --> 00:36:28,800 their band. That was my last joke is your 475 00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:31,200 pastor. But from the door, notice the 476 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,840 Angel sat on top of it. The Angel sat on top of it. 477 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:40,960 Well, why would the Angel? Now this is what the Angel 478 00:36:40,960 --> 00:36:42,920 looked like. His countenance was like 479 00:36:42,920 --> 00:36:44,920 lightning and his clothes was white as snow. 480 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:54,400 So this this Angel is gleaming and he's just chilling on top of 481 00:36:54,400 --> 00:36:59,560 the stone and it isn't it interesting that the Angel sat 482 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:04,360 on the stone? You think that an Angel would 483 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:09,160 like stand guard over it? Can you imagine the angels like 484 00:37:09,160 --> 00:37:12,880 legs are like dangling off the stone and his I don't know if 485 00:37:12,880 --> 00:37:16,640 they have wings or whatever, but but he's just just just sitting 486 00:37:16,640 --> 00:37:22,680 on the stone. This shows the authority of God 487 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:28,200 over the weight of your life because it brings me back to 488 00:37:28,200 --> 00:37:32,080 what Jesus did in the middle of the sea when the disciples were 489 00:37:32,080 --> 00:37:36,520 facing the storm. Jesus, the Bible said, walked on 490 00:37:36,520 --> 00:37:39,440 the water. The same water that caused the 491 00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:44,400 disciples fear was the same water that Jesus would step on 492 00:37:44,400 --> 00:37:50,320 in authority and go to the boat. It is the same stone that Jesus 493 00:37:50,320 --> 00:37:54,000 would send the Angel, the Father would send the Angel, and the 494 00:37:54,000 --> 00:37:58,960 Angel would sit on top of a stone. 495 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:03,400 Now you might be thinking of the small stone like this little 496 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:06,360 Pebble. This is not £50. 497 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:11,440 This stone with this soldier in the seal is not 100 lbs. 498 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:15,240 This. This is not £500. 499 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:26,800 This is one to two ton of stone. This is about 40, £500. 500 00:38:30,400 --> 00:38:33,080 You ever worried about something that was in front of you? 501 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:39,320 Mary and Mary, we can't really see the future, but we're going 502 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:43,320 to Jesus. You don't really understand the 503 00:38:43,320 --> 00:38:45,320 future, but you're going to Jesus. 504 00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:50,520 You don't really see what's going to happen next, but you do 505 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:53,240 know that you have to take the next step towards Jesus. 506 00:38:55,400 --> 00:39:00,160 And in that light and in that way, you come to a place where 507 00:39:00,320 --> 00:39:10,840 Jesus could take upon the stone an interesting enough. 4500 lbs 508 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:15,000 would not be the heaviest thing that Jesus would carry. 509 00:39:17,440 --> 00:39:20,080 And your stone right now has probably paralyzed you. 510 00:39:21,200 --> 00:39:22,800 Your stone is probably trapped you. 511 00:39:23,760 --> 00:39:27,880 Your stone has probably stopped you and some of you, if I could 512 00:39:27,880 --> 00:39:31,120 submit this to you that been in church for a long time, One of 513 00:39:31,120 --> 00:39:34,400 the stones that I believe that you're dealing with right now is 514 00:39:34,400 --> 00:39:38,560 church hurt. You're hurt. 515 00:39:40,440 --> 00:39:42,120 You're hurt. Let's be real. 516 00:39:43,280 --> 00:39:46,720 Let's be honest. You're leaving, Pastor Casey. 517 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:55,600 We're hurt. We're sad, we're grieving, some 518 00:39:55,600 --> 00:39:57,160 of us. It's not because I'm leaving 519 00:39:57,160 --> 00:39:58,560 some of it. It's just because of what we 520 00:39:58,560 --> 00:40:02,880 went through at another church. And that stone has become so 521 00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:05,960 heavy over your life, you're wondering if this is something 522 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:10,160 you could ever get past. Can I submit this to you this 523 00:40:10,160 --> 00:40:15,600 morning? That was a good time for a yes 524 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:19,160 Pastor. Can I submit to you? 525 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:26,360 That the same Spirit who rose Christ from the dead lives in 526 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:31,000 you. And it is time to rise. 527 00:40:31,880 --> 00:40:35,720 Not because Pastor Casey is here or isn't here, or Pastor Chris 528 00:40:35,720 --> 00:40:38,680 is here. It's time to rise because Jesus 529 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:43,040 is here and our eyes are fixed and focused on him. 530 00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:51,760 I want to encourage you to take the next step and your Savior 531 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:56,160 will face your stone, but you. Know the heaviest thing that. 532 00:40:56,200 --> 00:41:00,880 Jesus handled. It wasn't the soldiers, it 533 00:41:00,880 --> 00:41:03,040 wasn't the seal, it wasn't the stone. 534 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:07,040 It was sin. It was sin. 535 00:41:08,400 --> 00:41:11,440 It was when you lied, it was when you cheated. 536 00:41:11,960 --> 00:41:14,440 It's when you use ChatGPT for your paper. 537 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:19,320 It's when you were out getting drunk. 538 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:21,600 And you didn't want anyone else to know about it. 539 00:41:23,040 --> 00:41:24,880 It was when you. Were on the Internet viewing. 540 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:28,520 Pornography This past week it was when. 541 00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,480 You treated your. Wife out of anger, rather out of 542 00:41:31,480 --> 00:41:35,560 kindness. The sin that was during. 543 00:41:35,560 --> 00:41:40,880 Direct rebellion. Against God it's the sin that 544 00:41:41,000 --> 00:41:46,080 Jesus handled for us Friday we call Good Friday. 545 00:41:46,080 --> 00:41:47,960 But something happened on Friday. 546 00:41:48,880 --> 00:41:52,320 The savior of the world was given and as Chris shared last 547 00:41:52,320 --> 00:41:56,960 week, the triumphal entry of the king crying out Hosanna and one 548 00:41:56,960 --> 00:42:00,000 moment they crowned him and then next moment that same crowd 549 00:42:00,200 --> 00:42:04,920 would yell out crucify him. And that's exactly what happened 550 00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:09,120 to Jesus. They crucified him on Friday. 551 00:42:09,600 --> 00:42:18,120 But not only did Jesus suffer because of our sin, but he 552 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:24,120 actually bore our sin. He actually took our sin upon 553 00:42:24,120 --> 00:42:29,240 himself. And Friday is good because we 554 00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:33,520 know Sunday is coming. And Friday. 555 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:37,080 Is something that we look. At is dark and bleak and Jesus 556 00:42:37,080 --> 00:42:41,480 paid the price he paid, paid a debt he did not owe because I 557 00:42:41,480 --> 00:42:43,400 owed a debt that I could not pay. 558 00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:46,840 And I needed someone to wash my sin away. 559 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:52,600 Not another sacrificed lamb at the temple, not another bleeding 560 00:42:52,600 --> 00:42:58,960 goat, but the blood of the Lamb of God who would take my place 561 00:42:58,960 --> 00:43:03,120 in your place and pay for everything that you should have 562 00:43:03,120 --> 00:43:06,880 done and everything that you chose to do wrong. 563 00:43:07,840 --> 00:43:13,440 And the Bible says that Jesus took that spot for me. 564 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:19,320 And in this moment the Angel comes and says, I know that you 565 00:43:19,320 --> 00:43:25,480 see Jesus who was crucified, and he was crucified for our sin, 566 00:43:26,200 --> 00:43:29,440 but he says he is not here, he is risen. 567 00:43:29,640 --> 00:43:36,560 He said, come see the place where the Lord lay, and go 568 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:41,920 quickly and tell his disciples. Tell him what? 569 00:43:44,440 --> 00:43:46,280 Look at your neighbor and say it he. 570 00:43:46,280 --> 00:43:51,120 Is risen, He is risen. He is risen. 571 00:43:52,320 --> 00:43:55,880 Jesus is risen. I have 8:00 kids. 572 00:43:58,080 --> 00:44:04,080 Four boys, 4 girls. Not because I always love. 573 00:44:04,080 --> 00:44:15,200 Kids, but I really love my wife. Like, oh, you don't have TV? 574 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:18,800 In the high desert or something. Like, come on, really, it's 575 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:20,600 obeying God's. Command man like. 576 00:44:20,600 --> 00:44:24,400 Go be fruitful. Multiply Want to make disciples? 577 00:44:24,400 --> 00:44:26,240 In all nations. In every neighborhood. 578 00:44:29,800 --> 00:44:36,600 Having lots of kids means. Large grocery bills so as. 579 00:44:36,600 --> 00:44:41,680 Christians, we choose to go. To our favorite spot, Costco. 580 00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,160 Costco. We're coming out of that season. 581 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:49,040 In our lives. Thank you. 582 00:44:49,160 --> 00:44:55,800 Jesus. But I I don't like something 583 00:44:55,800 --> 00:44:58,000 about. Costco, can I just bear my heart 584 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:04,320 with you today? We have two carts that we're 585 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:06,480 pushing. Full. 586 00:45:07,080 --> 00:45:11,760 Overflowing. You have to put everything out. 587 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:14,880 And now they're making you box it too. 588 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:23,280 That's not the worst part. You're pushing 2 heavy carts. 589 00:45:24,360 --> 00:45:27,920 And as you're pushing it there, there's a a lady or a gentleman 590 00:45:28,280 --> 00:45:34,240 who stops you as you exit. And they have to go. 591 00:45:34,240 --> 00:45:39,440 Through what's on the receipt to? 592 00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:44,720 Make sure that it's actually. Purchased because what is 593 00:45:44,720 --> 00:45:52,040 purchased is set free with you. And so they go through the list 594 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:53,080 you. Got the toilet paper. 595 00:45:53,080 --> 00:45:56,040 Yeah, 65 of them. They got the potatoes. 596 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:00,120 Yeah, 300 lbs of them. You, you have, you have the, the 597 00:46:00,120 --> 00:46:01,800 orange juice. They don't just sell one, they 598 00:46:01,800 --> 00:46:03,960 sell six in a row. And you're just holding it like 599 00:46:03,960 --> 00:46:06,520 that as you walk out. It's like the promised land. 600 00:46:06,760 --> 00:46:09,840 And, and they, they, they go through everything that you've 601 00:46:09,840 --> 00:46:16,000 purchased and they put a yellow highlighter down the center of 602 00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:19,320 the receipt and they say you're good to go. 603 00:46:19,320 --> 00:46:28,600 I'm going to tie this in. The resurrection is the receipt 604 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:33,360 that you've been purchased and when you've been. 605 00:46:33,360 --> 00:46:37,600 Purchased. You're able to go free. 606 00:46:41,520 --> 00:46:43,320 If you haven't been purchased by. 607 00:46:43,320 --> 00:46:47,360 Jesus, you will not be free. So I was speaking. 608 00:46:47,360 --> 00:46:50,360 To the bank teller, the. Other day and she said I just, I 609 00:46:50,360 --> 00:46:53,400 just hate it. I just hate it every time I go 610 00:46:53,400 --> 00:46:55,080 to church. I said when do you go to church? 611 00:46:55,400 --> 00:46:58,760 She said I go to church on Christmas Eve and I go to church 612 00:46:58,760 --> 00:47:01,440 on Easter. She said I hate it though. 613 00:47:02,240 --> 00:47:04,160 I hate it. The pastor looks at me every 614 00:47:04,160 --> 00:47:09,040 time from these, from his stage, and he says you're a creaster. 615 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:14,560 Like what I've never heard. Of a creaster. 616 00:47:15,720 --> 00:47:19,040 She's like, yeah, Christmas and Easter only. 617 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:25,680 She said these words. Wouldn't you just think he was 618 00:47:25,680 --> 00:47:30,400 excited that I'm even there? I said I. 619 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:33,400 Don't know about that pastor. But I do know that Jesus is 620 00:47:33,400 --> 00:47:38,520 excited you're here. And I want to tell you that you 621 00:47:38,520 --> 00:47:40,320 might come. On Christmas and Easter, I don't 622 00:47:40,320 --> 00:47:42,680 want to call you a creaster or CEO. 623 00:47:42,680 --> 00:47:47,760 Christmas and Easter only I, I, I want you to know that. 624 00:47:47,760 --> 00:47:53,400 Christ has purchased. Your sin upon the cross, I want 625 00:47:53,400 --> 00:47:56,960 you to know that not only did He purchase it, but He suffered and 626 00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:00,240 died on your behalf. I want you to know that His 627 00:48:00,240 --> 00:48:03,000 blood was spilled so your sins can be forgiven. 628 00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:06,520 I want you to know that your iniquity can be gone, not just 629 00:48:06,520 --> 00:48:09,880 covered, but it could be gone because of the work of Jesus 630 00:48:09,880 --> 00:48:16,200 Christ and the resurrection is the receipt that he did the 631 00:48:16,200 --> 00:48:21,000 purchase and as you've come. This morning I just want to. 632 00:48:21,000 --> 00:48:23,560 Ask if that's you and your thinking to your heart. 633 00:48:24,240 --> 00:48:29,080 This is my moment to understand what it means to be purchased by 634 00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:34,280 Jesus, by believing in Him, by trusting in Him. 635 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:39,080 I want to give you an opportunity to receive the great 636 00:48:39,080 --> 00:48:43,880 work of Jesus, that He can handle everything that is heavy 637 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:48,080 from the soldiers to the seal to the stone. 638 00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:52,600 And last but certainly not least, your sin that has 639 00:48:52,600 --> 00:48:55,360 separated you from God. Will you pray with me this 640 00:48:55,360 --> 00:48:56,920 morning? Father, thank you for every 641 00:48:56,920 --> 00:49:00,160 person in this room. And we ask and pray as we've 642 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:03,880 gathered that you, by the working of your Holy Spirit, 643 00:49:03,880 --> 00:49:08,320 Lord, would move in a way that you would draw men and women to 644 00:49:08,320 --> 00:49:11,800 yourself, Lord, that people would put their trust and their 645 00:49:11,800 --> 00:49:16,160 hope and their faith in you. Lord, I ask and pray that people 646 00:49:16,160 --> 00:49:21,120 would be saved by you, Lord, as they call upon the name of the 647 00:49:21,120 --> 00:49:23,680 Lord. And if that's you this morning, 648 00:49:23,680 --> 00:49:26,840 as we've gathered and you're thinking to yourself, I want to 649 00:49:26,840 --> 00:49:29,880 surrender, I want to believe, I want to trust in Jesus. 650 00:49:29,880 --> 00:49:32,760 Can you just lift your hand up? If you don't know that you've 651 00:49:32,760 --> 00:49:36,080 been purchased by Jesus, Can you lift your hand up as high as 652 00:49:36,080 --> 00:49:38,120 possible so I could see it? God bless you. 653 00:49:38,640 --> 00:49:41,080 Anyone in this room. God bless you, anybody else? 654 00:49:41,080 --> 00:49:44,200 You just put your hand up. Put your hand up as a sign today 655 00:49:44,200 --> 00:49:46,920 I, I want to release what I'm holding in my sin. 656 00:49:47,240 --> 00:49:49,680 I want to trust that Jesus is my savior. 657 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:54,160 Anyone else in this room, Jesus alone can pay the price for 658 00:49:54,160 --> 00:49:56,640 anything you've ever done. He did it on the cross. 659 00:49:56,760 --> 00:49:58,360 He proved it in the resurrection. 660 00:49:58,360 --> 00:50:01,720 Is there anybody else this morning, as we've gathered, that 661 00:50:01,720 --> 00:50:07,400 you've not have not received the work of Jesus, Anybody else 662 00:50:08,280 --> 00:50:10,800 where you're seated as you lifted your hand to the Lord, 663 00:50:10,800 --> 00:50:14,120 This is you putting your faith and your trust in Jesus. 664 00:50:14,120 --> 00:50:17,840 You could just simply cry out to the Lord and just say something 665 00:50:17,840 --> 00:50:21,040 similar to this as you're sitting there, dear Lord. 666 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:26,480 Today I believe. That. 667 00:50:26,480 --> 00:50:28,920 You have died upon the. Cross for me? 668 00:50:30,360 --> 00:50:32,040 I ask. That you'd forgive me? 669 00:50:32,040 --> 00:50:37,560 Of my sin as I surrender, I pray that you'd fill me with your 670 00:50:37,560 --> 00:50:40,880 Holy Spirit. I pray that. 671 00:50:40,880 --> 00:50:45,000 You would make me your. Child and I ask. 672 00:50:45,000 --> 00:50:49,280 And pray that you would fill me with. 673 00:50:49,280 --> 00:50:53,600 Your power I. Believe today in. 674 00:50:53,720 --> 00:51:00,720 Jesus, his death, his burial and his resurrection make me new 675 00:51:00,720 --> 00:51:05,400 from the inside out. And I ask this in Jesus name and 676 00:51:05,400 --> 00:51:12,280 everybody said Amen, Amen, Amen. We hope you enjoyed this message 677 00:51:12,400 --> 00:51:14,840 and we'd love for you to join. Us in person every Sunday at 678 00:51:14,840 --> 00:51:17,120 10:30 AM. For more information and 679 00:51:17,120 --> 00:51:19,280 updates, visit wearebridgetown.com. 680 00:51:19,600 --> 00:51:21,600 Thanks for tuning in and we'll see you next week.